Back & Forth | Reviewing 2024, Planning for 2025

Photo by Christopher Paul High on Unsplash

Happy new year! I meant to write and post this in December, but procrastination snatched the time right out of my hands. That's ok; better late than never! As my mom recently reminded me, the Prophet (ﷺ) once said that even if the end of the world is quite literally happening, but you still have time to plant a seed, you should do so.  ​Or, as one of my favourite quotes puts it: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. (The attribution of this proverb is not precisely known).
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And now, because my memory is like Swiss cheese (full of holes), I thought it would be enlightening (for myself, mainly, though maybe you'll find it helpful too, dear reader) to take a look back at 2024, writing-wise.

...Wait, apparently I wrote a 2024 intentions post? I have...no memory of doing so. Well, anyway, of those intentions, I have:

• edited PCR according to suggestions from beta reader
• made a choose-your-own-adventure story via tumblr polls (only...I have since left tumblr. But it was fun while it lasted!)
• wrote book response for some of the books I've read

I've followed through on 3 out of the 11 intentions and honestly...maybe I was being overly ambitious, given the givens, but I also definitely let (original) writing fall by the wayside this year. That stings to think about...but on a positive note, I wrote a lot of fanfiction this year! Roughly 33k words!

I guess I shouldn't castigate myself too much about writing fic vs. OG work; writing is writing, even if I'm frustrated about where my focus ended up being. Plus, I did accomplish some stuff, and I should really be a bit more grateful and proud of that.

Celebrating 2024: a list of works & achievements

✧.* a drabble wherein a survivor and her pet monster are the consequence of fighting fate​
✧.* The Book of Dragons, a book response
✧.* a drabble where in a hedgewitch reminisces on a golden ghost
✧.* a drabble wherein the tides must be manually pulled in, in a hopeful postapocalyptic world
✧.* After the Forest, a book response
✧.*  The Bone Orchard, a book response
✧.* Legends of Mourra Vol. 1 is finally titled: The Storyteller, the Djinn, and the Prince
✧.* a drabble wherein a prince and a demon form an alliance
✧.* a drabble wherein a magical surgeon considers a relic and the fool who wishes to harness its power
✧.* the opening to LofM Vol.1 is rewritten using pieces written several years ago
​✧.* yours truly read 48 of 60 books!
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Goals for 2025

I'm trying to keep it short and achievable this year. Much as I loathe pressure, especially when it comes to my creative occupations, I need to stop being a baby and commit to writing. So! In 2025, I aim to:

• update this site once a month with an excerpt or prompt fill
• cross post on Medium (research required first)
• zero draft Rivener 2.0
• write 100 words for LofM, monthly
• compile 2023 and 2024's prompts into a single collection
• write more book responses
• read 12 books that I already own and haven't read before
• explore substack
• join a writing group
• attend one (1) writing group meeting

God help me if I don't meet these extremely easy goals. 😠

Do you have creative related goals for 2025? What are they? And how was 2024 for you? Comment and let me know; I miss talking to writers and other creatives, especially since I left tumblr. 

Until next time (which will be this month, I swear), happy reading and writing!